Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - reduce

 verb  (~d; reducing)  Etymology: Middle English, to lead back, from Latin ~re, from re- + ducere to lead — more at tow  Date: 14th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to draw together or cause to converge ; consolidate ~ all the questions to one  b.  (1) to diminish in size, amount, extent, or number ~ taxes ~ the likelihood of war  (2) to decrease the volume and concentrate the flavor of by boiling add the wine and ~ the sauce for two minutes  c. to narrow down ; restrict the Indians were ~d to small reservations  d. to make shorter ; abridge  2. archaic to restore to righteousness ; save  3. to bring to a specified state or condition the impact of the movie ~d them to tears  4.  a. to force to capitulate  b. force, compel  5.  a. to bring to a systematic form or character ~ natural events to laws  b. to put down in written or printed form ~ an agreement to writing  6. to correct (as a fracture) by bringing displaced or broken parts back into their normal positions  7.  a. to lower in grade or rank ; demote  b. to lower in condition or status ; downgrade  8.  a. to diminish in strength or density  b. to diminish in value  9.  a.  (1) to change the denominations or form of without changing the value  (2) to construct a geometrical figure similar to but smaller than (a given figure)  b. to transpose from one form into another ; convert  c. to change (an expression) to an equivalent but more fundamental expression ~ a fraction  10. to break down (as by crushing or grinding) ; pulverize  11.  a. to bring to the metallic state by removal of nonmetallic elements ~ an ore by heat  b. deoxidize  c. to combine with or subject to the action of hydrogen  d.  (1) to change (an element or ion) from a higher to a lower oxidation state  (2) to add one or more electrons to (an atom or ion or molecule)  12. to change (a stressed vowel) to an unstressed vowel  intransitive verb  1.  a.  (1) to become diminished or lessened; especially to lose weight by dieting  (2) to become ~d ferrous iron ~s to ferric iron  b. to become concentrated or consolidated  c. to undergo meiosis  2. to become converted or equated  Synonyms: see decrease, conquer  • ~r noun  • reducibility noun  • reducible adjective  • reducibly adverb